Opening Up
by Mtwapa
Summary: A short piece set during the first half of Season 1, concerning Horatio and Adele...C'mon you guys remember Adele Sevilla right?


Author's Note: This fic was writted for JOAQUINA! for CSI SANTA 2007. It's set during the first half of season1. Italics indicate a flashback of sorts. Cupcake: is one of the cases where, basically women get together to be in control of their fantasies, making it all about them and not the men. I've tried showing a 'ticking' Horatio, or at least, one more reminiscent of pre-S5 super-H! I hope you find it adequate enough. I'm not sure what Megan Donner's husband's name was because I tried hunting around at a couple of sites but nothing came up so if you do know the correct name please excuse the made-up one here and correct me! I've never done Spanish as a language and a friend helped me out with some of the words so I hope they're ok. Happy reading!

Disclaimer: All characters in this piece belong to CBS, J. Bruckheimer, A.Zuiker, A.Donahue, C.Mendelsohn et al.

OPENING UP

Horatio closed the door to the apartment and dropped his suit-carrier bag, appreciating the satisfying thump it made when it hit the wooden floor. He leaned back against the door and closed his eyes. He could feel the knots at the base of his neck making a small lump. There it was again, at first he thought it was his imagination but the small noise coming from further inside the apartment was unmistakably one of intrusion, " 'Elea?" called Horatio.

Nothing.

He heard another noise again. His hand went to his side to grab his handgun from its holster. Damn! It was still lying in his office His hand shot down to the ankle holster to draw out his back up. He put the Smith&Wesson into the holster at the side for easier reach and crept forward to investigate.

"MDPD," he called out, "Hello?" he moved forward. He looked around to make sure it wasn't 'Elea. She normally left her stuff around when she came over to his. She needed chaos in her life and found the need to spread it around because obviously it seemed she didn't get enough of it from work! It was something that irked him but which he conversely found very attractive in her. It suited her; the woman he had come to know and love could not be anything else.

"Adele," he sighed softly as he crept into his bedroom and saw her walk out of his en-suite.

"Horatio!" she was in the process of putting in an earring, "Surprise?" she offered walking up to the man whose jaw may as well have been hanging on the floor. "I thought your flight got in at seven?"

"Uh…Uh…" he gulped slightly trying to form coherent thoughts as his eyes wandered over her form, "Yes the flight was actually cancelled and we were put on another airline that flies directly to Miami; No stop-over," a crease appeared in his forehead. He thought of the date and quickly began reviewing dates in his head: birthdays, anniversaries, functions, possible dinner date?

"Horatio," she rested her hands on his waist, "You're home, leave the scientist at CSI please…Remember when you were a cop and ran with your instinct as well as your logic?" she unhooked his holster from his trousers noting that it was his back-up in his main holster, "You have seriously got to relax a little," she crouched down and undid his ankle holster. He shifted nervously, his hands fiddling with change in his pockets.

"Well it's not everyday that the woman I'm in love with, decides to put on a little black number," he retorted, frantically running through the list again in his head.

"I'd advise you run with your gut feeling on this one, Lieutenant," she replied meaningfully her eyebrows arching high up, a finger tracing out his crotch.

"Wonderful surprise, Sweetheart," he whispered as her lips drew enticingly closer to his.

It was brutal but alluring; Her tongue was dancing within in his mouth in that ever-possessive way that he had loved from the beginning. He saw sparks of amber shoot out from her dusky brown eyes, before they darkened: Making him entirely hers. Her passion was contagious and was beginning to spread like wildfire in his previously tired muscles. He pulled her harder against him. Her hands had already divested him of his jacket and were making quick work of his tie.

"Mmm…Silk, must have been a very important trial," she said huskily, pulling away from him. He smiled shyly at her in his schoolboy manner that she gone from finding absurd to irresistible. She wrapped the tie casually around her own neck letting the narrower end fall into the plunging neckline. She sat down on the bed and leaned back into a seductive pose; crossing one leg over the other, looking at him expectantly.

He didn't move, uncertainty lined his posture. She could see his muscles, tense and quivering with hesitation. She had the feeling that if she were to ghost her lips against his he'd fall over like straw. How not surprising! Trust him to do this, she thought, trying to keep a straight face at the thought that this was the aggressive Head of the Miami crimelab who stared down criminals in an interrogation room and was anything but shy when it came to his job. Something else clicked at the back of her mind about his hesitancy and she faltered for a second before brushing it aside. She reached forward and grabbed him by his belt buckle and pulled him towards her. He fell gently on the bed beside her. She propped herself up on one arm and looked down at him. She moved one leg across him and kissed him again. His hands went straight to her thick, glossy, brown hair.

" 'Elea," he gasped as she softened the kiss. One hand dropped to caress her 5-inch, sandal-strapped ankle lying across him.

"Relax," she whispered, shifting so that she was now on top of him.

"Let me at least take you to dinner, you look beautiful," he said holding her gaze. He didn't want to waste the obvious effort she had made in getting dressed.

"I've got that covered," she replied, her lips descending to his neck.

He struggled to keep his breathing even, "Wow, you're making dinner for me too!"

She nipped his collarbone, "You're not getting _that_ _lucky_ Lieutenant," she looked up at him and read his mind, "Besides, who said anything about my clothes coming off. You have no idea how good I am at directing one-way traffic."

"You are huh?"

"I had the chance to brush-up on it yesterday," she smiled coyly at him. She turned her attention to his body that had already begun to respond to her caresses, "Too many clothes," she growled as his shirt opened up to reveal a black t-shirt and then a subsequent white undershirt beneath that. They were quickly discarded.

Her hands stopped, "Wait, wait," she muttered, "You're wearing your socks- suspenders and briefs," an eyebrow was raised in his direction, he blushed, "Must have been _some_ trial! Although I have to say I prefer you in boxers," she saw him blush all over this time. She leaned down, "Oh mi cariño, you never fail to surprise," her lips captured his for another bruising, breath-taking kiss.

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Adele woke up with a sharp pain in her wrist. She sucked in a breath and closed her eyes knowing it would be over soon. When it died down she looked down at her arm tangled up with his: his hand which was loosely curled around her wrist had moments ago been squeezing her wrist in a vice-like grip. She felt the blood return slowly to her hand. Shit! There it was again, damn it! That was painful! The pain let up and the blood rushed back. This wasn't the first time. The first time it happened, she had almost slapped him but had caught herself in time when she turned around and noticed he was fast asleep. She herself had drifted off after it happened and had forgotten about it. And then it had happened again. He had fallen asleep on the couch one night and she noticed his hands balling into fists and clenching in his sleep. Later, she had asked him if he slept well but he deflected her probing with a shrug and a nod and she had left it at that. After that she had watched him closely while he slept (although often she was the first one to fall asleep). She noticed that it only occurred when he was exhausted, which was often given the hours he pushed himself to work.

She was glad she didn't bruise easily. Her dark skin also offered useful camouflage for discoloration. She hadn't told him about it because she didn't think he needed to know. Obviously the clenching had something to do with his past and unresolved events that happened during the day that sank into his sub-conscience. His past was as murky as they came and Adele didn't believe in needing to know about the past. Their relationship was still pretty new and she didn't blame him for being reticent on his past. Besides, she believed in living for the present. Although, lately she had been living in the past, well ever since she had heard the comment that had floated around PD as gossip. Their relationship, they had both agreed, would be as discreet as possible. They were nothing other than professional when they were on duty together. Frank and Yelina were the only ones who knew, and it had stayed at that. The consequences of having a relationship with a colleague were too complicated and they had sought to limit knowledge of them as 'a couple,' as much as possible, using every precaution. The little tell-tale signs; lingering looks and underlying meanings in conversations were all there initially, but they had struggled to overcome these.

For him, dating someone he worked with was a first but not for her. She had wandered from one relationship to another, occasionally there had been the awkward break-up but mostly her office 'off-duty,' relationships had fizzled out into friendships. One couldn't afford to have anything less in her world because you never knew whom you would suddenly be made to work with, and in the field you had to have your partner's back. Being friends certainly made the process more natural. But they never had the continued fire and intensity that her relationship with Horatio somehow continued to discharge.

He was classed as an 'UNSOLVED,' in Adele's mind, there was an air about him that just made him…mysterious amongst other things. She had always found him attractive if reserved. It was no secret that half of PD was attracted to the redheaded Lieutenant. When he first joined CSI, there had been a betting pool as to which woman would get him to fall for her. Idle gossip said that it would be Talia Sheppard, her colleague that somehow managed to land him for every crime scene she was called out to. How Talia had managed to do it, she had never figured out. It didn't happened for Talia because he remained aloof to most conversations that did not involve a case, but then bets moved to Megan Donner after she came back. Adele hadn't approved of this, one; because of Megan's circumstances and two; because Charles Donner had been her partner and they had been brilliant together. To indulge such whisperings was to discredit him and his memory. She had tuned out from Horatio Caine after this. Her closest friend at PD, Yelina Salas, also his sister-in-law, seemed just as reluctant to talk about him. Horatio and Adele had met informally once or twice at Yelina's place and had talked about little else other than cases and 'how's the weather?' conversation. But then the last time they met at Yelina's; Adele had had a small accident on the patio, and was assisted by Horatio - something just sparked. She had found herself blushing after a long time while he helped her up. After that, they both found themselves more at ease with each other to the point where Adele, 2 days later, had managed to get him to come out for drinks with her and the guys. There had been no master plan to 'get' him. She thought back on 'them': Their relationship had just happened:

_She knocked on his door, "Knock, knock," she said loudly to catch his attention which was wrapped up in a letter._

_He looked up and chuckled. She gave a grin of her own, taken aback by his chuckle. She could see the tiredness in his muscles. He invited her in. _

"_Me and the guys are going for a beer. You want to come?" she sat down in a chair._

"_Mind if I take a rain-check?" he asked._

_There was something in his tone that just automatically had her saying, "You all right?"_

_He sighed and leaned back in his chair, and waved the letter at her. He told her Megan had resigned. Understanding that he wanted to be left alone she stood up. It was then that he remarked that he had almost walked too. She froze and looked at him; sadness and regret clouded the normally bright, blue eyes. She could see his hands were trembling slightly. Was that just an admission from the impenetrable Horatio Caine? She had the impulse to ask him if he wanted to talk about it but held back; Horatio Caine was definitely not a person who 'wanted to talk about it,' that much she had gauged from working with him. She stood staring at him, willing to wait if he took it upon himself to say something. He gave a loud sigh and broke eye contact with her. The shoulders suddenly snapped up and gone was the vulnerability in his character that she had experienced a moment ago._

"_I'll see you tomorrow," she said simply knowing the moment was gone._

_He gave a distracted 'Yep,' and watched her leave. She had lingered in the door and flashed a smile at him before walking away._

_2 hours later much to her surprise she saw him walk into the bar behind a dark-haired man whose image screamed 'Federal agent'. Horatio looked irritated and pissed off, his companion looked suave and in control. Neither of them noticed the 4 detectives in the corner booth at one end of the bar. She watched them: Horatio sat down on a stool with his back to them. His hand went up to the bartender and a double scotch appeared. He knocked it back, up went the hand again to order another. She turned her attention back to what Bernstein was saying and laughed weakly at his joke. _

_Frank noticed Horatio and gave a small nod, "My, my, doesn't someone look like they're in the wringer," he drawled softly, "What is it with the Feds these days? Constantly busting our chops!"_

_She had nodded in agreement. The involvement of the Feds was almost becoming regular and it was getting ridiculous because it limited MDPD jurisdiction, making cases harder to solve. _

_Frank tipped the bottle to his mouth and gulped down the last of his beer, "Well y'all, I think I'm gonna call it a night."_

_Bernstein and Puig also finished their beers, said their goodbyes and left._

"_Can I give you a ride home, Adele?" asked Frank, slipping his jacket on. She shook her head. "Well then, I'll see you tomorrow."_

"_Drive safe Frank."_

_The Southerner flashed a smile and winked, "Always do!"_

_She couldn't help but roll her eyes at him and laugh. She watched him leave before turning her attention back to Horatio. The Fed had a sickly sweet smile on his face and she could swear that she saw rising hackles on the back of the Lieutenant's neck. Horatio stood up and made his way to the restroom. A few minutes later, his companion followed suit. She gave a small snort at this male ritual of conducting business while taking a pee, "Men…" she muttered. She took a swig of her drink and sat back looking around the bar. On the way back Horatio noticed her and gave a small, mock salute. She returned it with a wry smile of her own. She saw him gulp down the rest of his drink and order another. He exchanged a couple of terse words with the Fed who finally seemed to have hd enough. He stood up, paid for his tab and left Horatio sitting there. _

_Horatio turned to the bartender with a cold smile and ordered another drink. His head sagged for a moment – Clearly, the man had a lot on his mind. To her astonishment, he picked up his re-filled glass and walked casually towards her._

"_Detective," he acknowledged, taking a sip._

"_Lieutenant," she replied unfazed, "Hope you weren't giving us up."_

_He let out a harsh chuckle, "What…to that bastard? Stuck out like a sore thumb didn't he?"_

_She nodded, "He may as well have had F-E-D stamped across his forehead with one of their stupid, 'official' stamps!" She wasn't sure why but her hand moved to his face to 'stamp' her point home. He tried to shy away and stumbled slightly against the booth. "C'mon H. sit down. Promise I won't bite anymore."_

_He didn't say anything but sat down next to her, rather than opposite her, in the booth. _

_They walked out together 20 minutes later. She jingled her keys, waiting for him to break the silence. Nothing. They stood there, looking like a pair of idiots._

"_May I walk you to your car, Adele?" _

_Finally, talk about an ice-breaker! She nodded and stepped off the pavement, "Where's your car, H.?"_

"_I came with Maylis. I wasn't exactly given a choice about coming. We both walked, something about him needing air."_

"_Can I give you a ride back to CSI then?" she was concerned for him. The bar wasn't far from MDPD or CSI but Lieutenant or not, Irish blood or not, he was not in possession of his full faculties and that made him a target. _

_He shook his head, "I'll walk. I have to get back and finish up my profici…" He suddenly collapsed onto the ground, his arms flailing wildly about._

_She was down on her knees in a trice, "Horatio, relax. Come on," she helped him up. He was beginning to babble nonsense. All she could hear was slurring. His alcohol consumption had hit him suddenly and she was willing to bet he hadn't eaten anything, all day, either. She helped him up and strapped him into the passenger seat. She wondered where to take him. He was in no state to go back to CSI. Yelina was on leave and out of town with Ray Junior. That left her with only two other options: her place or his. She reached across him and felt his pockets for keys._

"_Horatio," she grasped his face and made him look at her. She swung the keys in front of him, "Are these your house keys?" The blue she was looking into made her breath catch, they were just so absorbing…flashing shades of pure moonlight now. _

_He nodded._

_Well, now there was just one problem. Where the hell did he live? She thought about it for a couple of minutes (which in thinking time actually constitutes a prolonged duration of thought.) but blanked each time. Well then, it would just have to be her place. She had pulled out of parking lot when he began apologising profusely to her. She had merely smiled, good-naturedly and said it was nothing. However, after a while he began to get on her nerves. The man just wouldn't shut up! Apologise, apologise, apologise: she even began thinking of suggesting that detectives should be allowed to carry some sort of gag, but she had the feeling that wouldn't fly too well with the Commissioner. He had quieted down somewhat by the time they reached her apartment._

_Getting him into the apartment had been the easy part, getting him up the stairs (after forcing some sugared coffee down his throat) was an entirely different and harder story – All the while listening to mumbled apologies and mutterings. Fleeting panic temporarily paralysed her at the thought of what the morning would bring occurred to her. The panic didn't last long as the pragmatic side of her yelled that she'd treat it as she had in the past when it came to taking care of inebriated friends. He wasn't the first and she was damn sure that he wouldn't be the last. When she finally managed to get him into her spare room, he collapsed as dead weight on the bed, his head lolling back to what looked like a very uncomfortable position. His body tensed and relaxed as she stripped him down to his undershirt, she decided to leave his trousers on. Just to make the morning less complicated than it could be. She couldn't help but appreciate his physique. But it was his skin that fascinated her the most. It was so pale to the point where it could be described as creamy, added to that, a smattering of freckles in all the right places led her to press his arm with her fingertips. She watched her prints fade slowly from blood red to a hint of blush. Watching him lying there, like he had not a care in the world (which given his state of mind he indeed did not have a care!) she couldn't help but fantasise about what it would be like to kiss him and lie with him. Run her hands through his fiery, gold hair and feel his hands caress her. To have those piercing, blue eyes staring into hers while they melted into each other… Her eyes traversed his body as she thought about it. The leap in her mind from colleague to lover was made in an instant. _

_He began to gag. She grabbed the small basin that she had brought up and forced him to into a seating position. He began to retch into it, his body trembling with every anti-peristaltic wave. Her hand made soothing motions along his back as he brought up a little coffee trapped between thick strands of saliva. He was retching so hard that tears were being forced out at the corner of his eyes. Nothing more came out because his gut was empty but the retching continued. He settled down in her arms, allowing her to hold him. A moment later he seemed to have realised what he'd done and jerked away from her, as if afraid of harming her, only to collapse prostate into unconsciousness._

_She dragged the easy chair from her room and sat down. She was desperate for a shower but was unwilling to leave him alone. A little voice in her head taunted her that it was less to do with making sure he didn't choke on his tongue and die a horrible, painful death and more to do with watching him. Ignoring the voice, she settled down to watch over him. There was some more retching and each bout seemed to tire him out more than the one before. Her eyes did eventually close but it was a restless period of sleep; jerking awake after a short period of time. It was well after dawn when she noted that he was in deep sleep. Relieved, she left him to have her well-deserved shower and get ready for her shift. He was still asleep when it was time for her to leave so she wrote him a note, strongly advising that he call in sick and take it easy. And also to help himself to anything he may need while he was at her place. She also let her next door neighbour know that a 'sick' friend was staying over and if she would be kind enough to check on him, at least once every half-hour and to call her if anything unusual happened._

_She was coming to the end of her shift and she was dead tired. She felt like crap, no doubt her appearance looked like that too. She thought about making another cup of coffee, undecided if the walk to the break-room to make the coffee was worth leaving the comfort of her cubicle for. She felt a familiar presence behind her and swivelled around to find herself caught up in blue depths that caused her breath to catch and her pulse to quicken_

"_I see you don't take sick days," she commented, finding her voice at last._

_He had flashed her a winning smile and moved into her personal space. She edged away from him as much as she could without making it too obvious. "Thank-you for last night. I…uh…I uh…I wanted to apologise," he caught her eye-roll and misinterpreted it, "I was feeling a little reckless last night. Sorry to have put you out of your way and ruining your evening. I was uh…I was wondering…if there's any way I can make it up to you?"_

_She hadn't wanted to fool herself but she thought she heard a note of earnestness in his voice. She wanted to say 'Yes,' but she felt guilty that it wouldn't be as innocent as he'd think it was. Her reasons for saying 'Yes,' were far too flawed._

"_Adele?" he tapped her hand, "Adele?" she shivered at his touch._

"_H?" she remembered, "Oh yeah, don't worry about it. It happens."_

"_I…uh…uh…I didn't do __**anything**__…" he struggled for a word, "…__**inappropriate**__?"_

_Now it was her turn to flash him a brilliant smile, "Don't worry Horatio. You're a saint, even when drunk."_

"_Thank-you for looking after me. Please let me make it up to you?" it was said quietly holding her eyes hostage within his. _

"_Gee Horatio. I mean it really was nothing."_

"_I promise not to get drunk again," it sounded almost childish and she found herself closer and closer to saying 'Yes,'_

"_It's not that H., believe me. I think…" was that a flash of disappointment that had streaked across his face or was she just getting absurdly desperate for a sign! She tried to think of an excuse but came up with nadda. Aargh! The hell with it! "Ok, one drink."_

"_I was…I was thinking something more along the lines of dinner. If you don't mind that is?"_

_She tried to think logically, but all sorts of scenarios were ballooning up her head, "Actually, I think we should just stick to drinks, Lieutenant. I have some stuff to do later. Besides going by 'an eye for an eye,' you buying me a drink would square it up."_

"_Oh... okay then. So see you in an hour?"_

'The rest…' as the clichéd saying went, '…was history.'

He had taken her to a very fancy bar that she'd been to a couple of times before with friends, called the 'Oyster'. The drink culminated into a couple of drinks over dinner. When he walked her to her door, she threw caution to the winds and let her natural, chaos-loving, passionate character take over. Her job had just been a method of self-discipline; to control her wild side with the burden of responsibility that was held as a detective in society. She had kissed him and to her pleasure (and surprise) found him returning the kiss – if a little hesitant at first. She had silenced and argued away his doubts and hesitancy, over a nightcap, both verbally and physically. Dinner was duly arranged again for the next day.

After that, their relationship had just moved forward on its own momentum. Neither of them had any clear goals about what their relationship needed to achieve because being able to be together was all that counted at the moment in their fragmented, volatile world of fighting crime.

She glanced at the alarm clock and felt her eyelids droop a little. Maybe she could just have a short nap before dinner got here. She cuddled up to his sleeping form; wrapping her arm against his torso and tangling her legs with his, underneath the sheets.

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The knocking on the door woke the sleeping Lieutenant. He took a moment to untangle himself gently from his beloved without waking her up. He put on a fresh pair of boxers, running shorts and t-shirt and headed for the door. He opened the door and blinked a couple of times; no matter how much he got to know her habits, they still surprised him. "Just give me a second," he said to the delivery guy. He fetched his wallet.

"It's already been paid for, Sir."

"Oh…I see. Well thank-you. Good evening."

"Enjoy your meal, Sir."

Horatio closed the door. He told himself he shouldn't be surprised but he was…what could possibly make an evening of making heart-stopping love even better? Well, PIZZA! Or so Adele seemed to think. She loved pizza! One would think that she would be put-off for life after living on pizza for 6 months straight but no not Adele Sevilla. If anything, she had grown to love it more. She was made by happier by a 'Margherita,' than a romantic candle-lit dinner - Not that she didn't enjoy the dinners Horatio meticulously planned for them, but she preferred her pizza. Her argument was that pizza equalled romance because it could be eaten in so many…intimate…ways. Although Horatio was working on changing her mind that it was only pizza that could be eaten so 'intimately,' and so far he had gotten encouraging results (to which his chocolate fondue set would attest to). He had always thought Ray Jr. loved pizza, clearly his nephew's love was nothing compared to 'Elea's love.

He arranged plates, cutlery and glassware for two on the A-frame bench, outside on his tiny terrace. He knew it was pointless because they never started eating pizza that way but he still did it. Even the environment had conspired in her favour to make the evening more perfect! The weather was just peachy…not too balmy at all and a new moon cast its weak, silvery glow across his home.

He walked back into his bedroom.

" 'Elea," he whispered in her ear, tucking away a lock of hair that had fallen across her face. She stirred lightly.

God! She was so beautiful! The sheet covered her waist down. He hadn't been able to help himself – the dress had just had to come off! Filtered moonlight added a touch of surreal-ness to the whole experience. Who could ever expect to get this lucky? To think this had all happened because he had let himself go one night, and get drunk. He had to admire the ever-changing angles of the curveballs that life threw his way. She made him feel so alive and happy. That was the difference: His vocation… his dedication made him feel alive but not happy. Which decent human being would feel happy seeing what twisted evil acts his fellow human beings were capable of? His family, or what was left of it; Yelina and Ray Jr made him happy but Raymond's death always lingered around them when they were together. It was hard not to let go…if only he had done a little more to get Ray to see sense and move out from 'Narcotics'.

Adele was different: she inspired and completed him. They could not be more different in terms of their pasts and personality traits but he somehow felt connected to her. It transcended the physical and emotional. All he knew was that he didn't ever want to let that go.

But today was something different all together. Making love at dawn or dusk was a rare experience and he knew which he preferred but practical details made it impossible for this to occur more than once in a blue-moon, like today. Adele looked captivating in the setting sun – as they had moved together- each as desperate as the other to find completion but make the moment last forever. She had looked like she was alight; her skin glowed with burnished richness and the fire and passion in her eyes had taken his breath away.

She was his and he was hers. Why did something continue to feel out of place? He had felt the frantic pace of her love-making, something that puzzled him because it almost seemed like she was trying to prove herself to him. Why? He hadn't quite figured that one out yet. Why 'Elea would need to 'prove herself,' he didn't know. She was his 'Elea…

'Elea had just sprung out of nowhere. He had tried other nicknames but ''Elea' just rolled smoothly off his tongue, one day, and she had liked it. He didn't remember much of his drunken state, other than drifting between states of consciousness. But between dawn and harsh daylight he had had a period of being lucid:

_A wave of terror swept over him at the realisation that he was not in his own bed with very little memory of what had happened the night before. There was this sense of panic of just not knowing. His mind desperately looked for something to clutch onto as a memory. His ribs were aching like hell and he could taste acid in his mouth and throat. Then he saw her and everything was made all right. The growing sunlight added texture to her glossy locks while her poker- straight face was relaxed and off-guard, the light served only to emphasise her beauty and create honeyed tones of brown that he would not have minded started an investigation on. She was simply beautiful. He had felt happy…or at least at the end of the day that's what it had felt like, albeit through unfortunate circumstances._

" 'Elea. Sweetheart, dinner's here," he lay down next to her and caressed her face, " 'Elea," he hummed in a coaxing voice until she finally opened an eye with a sigh.

"Horatio," she murmured, her lips ghosting over his fingertips. They shared a moment of silence. "Ok…ok, I'm up. Give me a minute. Go ahead and start, you must be hungry."

"Don't be long Sweetheart or there won't be any Hawaiian left," he teased.

"You wouldn't dare!" she exclaimed in mock horror.

"I guess you'll find out Sweetheart," he mocked back, raising an eyebrow.

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He had started on his second slice when she appeared outside, "What is it with women in men's clothes?"

"What you wanna try some more cupcake, Lieutenant?" she laughed at his expression. She liked his shirts and she knew he really did like seeing her in his shirts. Wearing nothing but his shirt (half-buttoned) oozed more sex appeal than a little black number.

"Thank-you for today 'Elea," he said shyly drawing her to him. She settled herself in his lap.

"You're welcome, Horatio," she kissed him slowly and tenderly before turning her attention to dinner. They fed each other intermittently, in silence, punctuated by long, slow, sweet kisses.

"So how come you were directing one-way traffic? What did I miss?"

"Governor made a last minute detour to Miami. The chief had his jockstrap in a twist at the short notice, which led to him issuing a memo that all detectives were supposed to report in full uniform and direct traffic. Boy! that really took me back to my patrol days. Although I swear motorists were better then than they are today! I actually felt sorry for the rookies. Real bunch of ass-holes out there. I had the temptation to shoot about seven of them."

"Only seven?" he joked.

She rolled her eyes at him. There was silence again, this time spent staring into each other's eyes. Her normally, clear brown eyes were hazy and unreadable. She let out a loud, uncharacteristic sigh.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

"Liar," he whispered in her ear. His teeth pulled down on her ear lobe while his tongue playfully flicked around it. His hand slipped into the open front of his shirt as he sought out a sensitive spot, just above her left breast. She leaned back further into him, tilting her head to one side. "Liar," he whispered again against her skin, this time biting her a little harder. His other hand slipped under the shirt and slid down across her navel, to play with her belly button.

"What makes you say that?" she said with a groan, arching her back into him. Her fingers were tightly gripping the edge of the table.

"My gut feeling," he responded huskily. She stiffened a little but it gave her away, "What's wrong 'Elea?" he turned her around so he could look her in the eye.

She saw the concern and love in his eyes and felt ashamed of herself for doubting him.

"Don't shut me out 'Elea."

Yeah right! Cos he's really one to talk said a mutinous voice in her head that was silenced as soon as it had spoken. "Ok…I got a little jealous."

"Jealous?" he asked puzzled, his hands continued to tickle her lightly, all over.

Adele gave him a massive eye-roll, "Your SWAT outfit and 'I beg to differ,' comment made headlines at PD."

He gave a wry chuckle, "Well it was true. Calleigh looked aesthetically pleasing in black."

"H. you're so full of shit someti…"

He didn't let her finish. He didn't want her to doubt him…EVER. To cause her pain was an unbearable thought. He kissed her doubts away. "I'm sorry I made you feel that way."

"It's not your fault!" she gasped, "my hormones…" she leaned in for another kiss.

He crushed her against him as his lips moved down to her throat. She stretched out in his arms, content.

She swore loudly in Spanish and jerked away from him, "Adele…" she was cradling her wrist that he had previously been holding.

"It's nothing Horatio," she held it away from him, massaging it gently.

"Sweetheart, it's swollen," he said pointedly reaching tenderly for it again. She reluctantly let him draw it closer towards him, " 'Elea, its bruised very badly. What happened?"

"Don't know," she shrugged, forcing herself to keep eye contact.

He examined it under the dim lighting, "Adele, there are finger prints here. I'm sure we can get a match to someone. What's going on? Who did this?" there was a hint of contempt, mingled with anger in his voice.

Shit! Shit! Shit! Now what the hell was she supposed to say? "Must have banged it somewhere."

"Adele this is not an accident! The markings are very pronounced. I'm sure we can get some good photos of it and Eric can…"

"Horatio, it's not what you think," she said desperately, "It was an accident!""

She saw the realisation dawn in his eyes, quickly drowned by disappointment, "No," he whispered, "Why didn't you say anything 'Elea?" he pushed her off him. The helplessness and hurt in his voice cut her heart.

She lunged for him but he side-stepped her, "Horatio, it was an accident. You were asleep for Chrissakes!" he was already walking away from her, "Horatio, damnit! You were asleep. You couldn't help it!"

"I'm so sorry…Adele….so very sorry."

"Horatio!" she stalked in and grabbed him causing them both to lose balance and tumble to the floor. He pulled her against him to shield her. She straddled him, gripping his wrists with her good hand. She was not afraid to pitch her strength against his even if he did have a height advantage over her.

"I've been hurting you…how long Adele?" no response, "How long 'Elea?"

She bit her lip, "For a while now," she breathed out. He closed his eyes for a long time. She let him up.

"What makes it hurt more is that you didn't feel you could tell me this," his tone was cold and his now opened eyes were brilliant with anger. She was losing him, she could feel it – he was closing up

"You didn't need the extra stress!" she yelled, losing her patience, "Besides, I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself. I could've handled it if it got out of hand," she said hotly.

"You could've said something," he replied stubbornly matching her intensity of emotion.

"Why?…so that you become afraid of falling asleep?" tears of frustration were beginning to prick at the back of her eyes, "You barely get enough rest as it and I will not deny you the little you do get!" she was panting now after her little tirade. In a much softer voice, "Trust me Horatio."

He walked away from her, again, into the darkness of his bedroom. After a moment, she followed him in. He was sitting in the dark. The only light was spilling in from the living room. She could see his figure on the edge of the bed. She switched on his side-lamp and knelt between his legs. His face was buried in his hands that were resting on his knees. She began to massage his back, her hands running over him. She could feel the tautness and quivering of every muscle.

"You should go, Adele."

"Don't shut me out mi cariño, I know you have nightmares and believe me if I wasn't able to handle it, I'd have been gone by now. You've gotta believe me mi cariño," she implored. He looked at her, his eyes brimming with sadness, "Horatio, don't ok…I love you."

"But it goes against everything I've tried to stand for," he whispered trying to restrain himself from returning her embrace, "I can't believe I'd do this…I can't protect you from myself, 'Elea. We really shouldn't…" he let out huge sigh, "I'm sorry."

The man obviously had a thing for apologising, "There's nothing to forgive Horatio. You're not at fault," her hands cupped his face, she forced him to look at her, "We just have to work through it…Shh…" she silenced the protestations about to issue from his lips by locking them firmly within her own.

"I'm becoming like him," came the whisper.

"Who?"

His face had hardened into a mask. The only thing that had life were his eyes, "My uncle," he said bitterly, "He used to 'take care' of us because my dad was away so much," He stopped, unable to go on. She sensed that the one sentence had already drained him. It was enough for one night. They could work on it. They were strong enough to get through this.

"Hold me, Horatio," she led his hands to her waist. She could see fear in his dark blue discs.

"I love you 'Elea," he whispered hesitantly, his fingers barely resting against her waist.

"Then don't worry because it's going to take a lot more for me to ever stop loving you," she kissed his nose and clasped her arms around his neck, giving him a smile to give him the confidence to go on. He lifted her up gently from the floor and lay down with her on top of him. He flipped them around. His hands unbuttoned the shirt quickly. His lips, eyes and hands began to explore, extra gently, her body by lamplight, to make sure he hadn't hurt her anywhere else, "Horatio."

"I need to 'Elea. I need to make sure."

She was touched, "I promise, there's nothing else," she pulled him up to her eye level.

"Promise you'll tell me if it happens again?"

She nodded before folding him up in her arms and whispering to him in her native tongue, Spanish, until they both fell asleep, knowing, how much they had come to rely on their love for each other and the truth that love was limitless. It could have all been over tonight but they had both taken the harder choice to prove to themselves if not the world that perhaps, just perhaps love could conquer and heal all.

FIN

AN2: Ok, so I made a slight deviation from Horation's past by bringing in his uncle, but I just wanted to make his past a bit different. Thanks for reading!!!


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